Taking another step away from its origins as a sports merchandiser,
e-commerce outsourcer Global Sports Inc.signed technology
and fulfillment deals with beauty site Gloss.com and Estee Lauder subsidiary ELC Online.
Global Sports will be responsible for hosting and operating the technology
platform that serves the ELC Online and Gloss.com sites, as well as for
fulfillment and other customer-service functions. Gloss.com and the ELC Online
will handle design, marketing and merchandising for their respective
sites.
Financial arrangements were not disclosed.
Created in 1999, Gloss.com was purchased by The Estee Lauder Companies in
April 2000. Now owned jointly by Chanel, Clarins and Estee Lauder, Gloss.com is a beauty-product site with nine boutiques for its owners’ brands. ELC Online operates Web sites for various Estee Lauder lines, including the Estee Lauder brand, Clinique, Origins, M.A.C and Bobbi Brown.
Global Sports develops and operates e-commerce businesses for retailers,
manufacturers, media companies and professional sports organizations. Its
services include Web site design and development, e-commerce technology,
customer service, fulfillment, buying and merchandising, content development
and management, online and database marketing, and product development and
sourcing.
With its shift from the sports world, Global Sports has announced plans to change its corporate name later this month to GSI Commerce Inc. and its Nasdaq stock symbol to GSIC, pending shareholder approval at its annual meeting.